


Aquamarine

by xSparklingRavenx



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-28
Updated: 2013-09-28
Packaged: 2017-12-27 20:40:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/983368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xSparklingRavenx/pseuds/xSparklingRavenx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Whoever said saving the world was impossible was wrong in every way. He says that because here Cid Highwind is, looking about as out of place as an airship-pilot-turned-planet-protector can while standing in front of a very large display of engagement rings with price tags of equal sizes."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aquamarine

**Author's Note:**

> This was actually written several months ago and posted to my tumblr, but now I'm here I thought why not upload the few things I have on there. Thanks for clicking!

And _damn,_ whoever said saving the world was impossible had clearly been a shut in single guy who'd never had the pleasure or experience of an actual breathing, working consensual relationship. He says that because here Cid Highwind is, looking about as out of place as an airship-pilot-turned-planet-protector can while standing in front of a very large display of engagement rings with price tags of equal sizes.

He's already found one before, using a catalogue in the comfort of his own home, and hadn't _that_ been so fine and dandy up until the point where he'd called Strife Delivery Services - because not only did Strife actually deliver shit on time, but Cid would also get a discount too - and got the World's Bustiest Bartender instead of her spiky-headed partner.

"Cid!" she'd gasped in disdain as he'd relayed his order over the phone at a breakneck pace. Strange, he'd thought, he'd never pegged Lockhart as a romantic type. "Go out and buy it in person!"

She'd refused to put the order through after that, on the grounds that ordering a ring through a catalogue wasn't damn _'special'_ enough. (Bullshit, Cid had thought privately. She just didn't know where Strife had buggered off to this time and couldn't put the order through by proxy. He'd bet she was telling all their other potential customers to go out and buy their toaster ovens and desk lamps in person too 'cause getting it delivered wasn't 'special' enough.) In the end, he'd had no choice but to jump on the Highwind (old, outdated, Christ he needs a new airship) and fly halfway across the world to Junon, leading to his current predicament.

He looks at the pink ribbon circling his arm and sighs. "You'da loved this," he mutters grinning. "Hell, you'd know exactly what to pick."

He spends the next ten minutes flicking his eyes over the large selection, trying to pick out the ring that would be perfect. Some of the things were huge rocks of diamond, or emerald, or maybe just hunking cuts of granite - he really didn't have a clue. Shera wouldn't want something like that, and neither did Cid. He wanted something more subtle, yet all the more beautiful for it.

 _'Jus' like Shera',_ he thinks, before slapping himself upside the head. Jesus wept, he was getting sentimental in old age. He'd be a freakin' ball of mush by the time he hit 40.

He looks back at the pink ribbon. "Okay Aerith. Lets leave this one up to you. If you can hear me and actually give a damn about some trivial shit _like the rest of my goddamn life_ while carrying out whatever Messiah-ly duty crap you got goin' on in the Lifestream, gimme a sign."

Surprisingly, a small ring previously unseen by him suddenly sparkles out of the corner of his eye. It's probably just the jewel catching the light of the sun, but he shrugs. "Good enough. Lets see..."

It's small, an aquamarine he assumes, and it shines ocean blue. The price tag makes him wince a little, but in a flash he flags down the nearest shop assistant and makes the transaction.

And hell it feels _great._

When he gets back to his house in RocketTown, Shera's not in. He stuffs the box with the ring in into his pocket and sits at the table. Without thinking, he retrieves a cigarette from the inside of his jacket's pockets and lights it. Shera'd kill him if she knew he was smoking in the house.

He's smoked three by the time she comes back. "Cid?" she exclaims in surprise as she opens the door and sees him sat at the table. Her eyes look a little red rimmed. "I-I didn't expect you to be back so early. You just took off without a word..."

He quickly stubs out the fourth cigarette, despite her not having said a word about it. "Shera, Shera, I've got somethin' to ask you-"

"Cid, wait, Cid-"

"An' I know it seems kinda outta the blue but-"

"Cid, listen, I went to the doctor-"

"But goddamn just listen for a moment, so I went to Junon-"

"Cid, Cid-!"

"And I got somethin' for you-"

"Cid-!"

"And I was gonna ask you to-!"

"Cid, listen to me, I have the stigma! I-I've got geostigma."

The room goes silent, and Cid's blood freezes in his veins. He's heard of the stigma, the incurable disease from Midgar born from the Lifestream. Who _hasn't_ heard of the stigma? Even that kid Strife adopted has it. It's so fucking widespread, spares no one, but Cid doesn't get it, no. Shera, who's never done anything to hurt anyone, never said a bad word to anyone, screamed abuse at another person, she fucking _gets it._

The ring goes forgotten until one day a year and a half later, after the whole Sephiroth and his three remnant larvae (or whatever it was Vincent called them) has been resolved and Cid is looking through some drawers on the _Shera._ Shera herself is cured, hell, the whole goddamn world is cured thanks to Aerith and her holy water -  although maybe he shouldn't call it holy, too soon and all that, and besides, Strife had said it had been Great Gospel - but he digresses. He pulls through the draw and out pops a small black box, and when he opens it he stops dead because in it is a small, aquamarine ring, shining in the sun streaming through the window.

"Shit." he says, and in seconds he goes barrelling down the ramp leading out back to his garden, through the back door, and into the kitchen where Shera is sitting at the table drinking a cup of tea. He's half out of breath - he's getting too old for these shenanigans, he thinks distantly - but he still has it in him to shove the box in his face and say, "Shera, marry me."

All is silent for approximately 43 seconds.

She stares at him, mouth slightly agape, and he stares back, heart hammering in his chest and it's true. It's true because however fucking hard and frightening Sephiroth might have been, _nothing_ will ever compare to these 43 seconds.

"...Well?" he says, when the tension gets too much. "C'mon Shera, I named a damn _airship_ after you and if that don't say true love I don't know what much else does!"

Slowly, she puts down her tea cup and for some frightening moment he thinks she's going to say no. But then she gets up, walks over to him and hugs him tight, her head buried by his neck.

"Of course I will." she says. He can hear the smile in her voice and it's _gorgeous._ "The answer is yes, Cid!"

He can't stop the grin on his face, as stupid as he probably looks, and then he realises that there's another step to this.

He needs a freakin' wedding after this.

He thinks about it for a moment, then decides Strife can probably deliver him one to his doorstep now he's back in action.


End file.
